UFC 285 takes place on march 4, 2023 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card features the return of Jon Jones. Jones is returning to the UFC in the heavyweight division to fight Ciryl Gane for the vacant Heavyweight Belt. Jones vs Gane is not the only title fight on the card. The co-main event features Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso for the Women’s Flyweight belt. UFC 285 will be a massive card and below you will find the best bets, props and parlays on the card.
UFC 285 Best Bets
Jon Jones -170
Jon Jones is the Greatest of all time and that really sucks to say. I’ve been a Jon Jones hater for literally his entire career. He has never been able to get out of his own way. Despite my hatred for him, he consistently wins fights. His athletic gifts coupled with his insane fight IQ. Have created a fighter that has never been beaten by another man inside the cage.
He has a freakish 84.5-inch reach. 85 with those fingers at full stretch, and you know they are always at full stretch. Jon Jones has a wrestling background that he doesn’t always use. Jones is happy to play to his opponent’s strengths and he has a knack for just getting in guys’ heads and throwing them off their game.
Jones hasn’t fought since 2020 and he hasn’t looked truly dominant since 2019. He claims he was bored and had no motivation. Now that he has returned to heavyweight we will see a new Jon Jones. He did the weight jump the right way. He didn’t rush anything and I think we are going to see a revitalized Jon Jones this Saturday.
Jon Jones can currently be bet on for -170. Taking the greatest to ever do it at those odds is always a value play.
Honorable Mention Bets:
Mana Martinez +230
Mana has fought very tough competition in his short career and at UFC 285 he is fighting an unproven prospect. The line is very wide at +230.
Derek Brunson +190
Brunson has a wrestling advantage over everyone he fights. He is fighting a very popular fighter this weekend and that may be the reason the line is as wide as it is. Brunson has been in the cage with just about everyone. He is no joke and +190 is a good line
Props
Bo Nickal Round 1 TKO +200
Nickal is a special fighter. It is not very often that an athlete of this calibre steps foot in the octagon. The lines for this fightarecompletely out of control and for good reason. For Nickal to finish round one you are getting little value at -190. Bo will be able to finish this however he wants. The finish will almost certainly come in round one. You are currently getting 2-1 odds on a 50/50 outcome and that is a value prop bet.
Other prop bets to note:
Jon Jones by submission +650
Cody Garbrandt inside the distance +100
Mana Martinez ITD +450
Parlays
Bo Nickal vs Jamie Picket Under 1.5 Rounds + Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso Alt Line Over 1.5 Rounds = -118
We covered above why the Nickal vs Pickett fight will finish in the first round. This parlay is even safer than that because you get an extra half a round for Bo Nickal to find the finish. The Valentina vs Grasso fight alt line of over 1.5 rounds may be the biggest value bet for a parlay on the card. There is almost no way this fight doesn’t make it to the third round. Both of these girls are capable of a finish. However, don’t be too worried about an early one. They are both technicians and they take time to set up the kill. This parlay is the best bet of UFC 285 and you can play it with confidence.
Other Parlays of note:
Basharat inside the distance + Garbrandt inside the distance = +450
Ian Garry inside the distance + Nickal inside the distance = -132
Jon Jones + Basharat + Garry = +120
Conclusion
UFC 285 is an amazing event. Watching as a fan is great, but watching with a little money invested is even better. Make sure you go into each betting card as educated and prepared as you can before placing your bets. Good luck to everyone and gamble responsibly.
What are your best bets for UFC 285? Do you agree with our choices?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
